Time-intensity reciprocity under various conditions of adaptation and backward masking.

Abstract

Conditions under which duration-intensity reciprocity holds for acuity performance were investigated. Reciprocity fails to hold for the resolution of a Landolt C at 40 mL. X msec, when it is immediately followed or preceded by a 2-sec. flash of 1 mL.: performance then increases with exposure duration. Reciprocity holds when the interval between target and flash is increased to 1.5 sec. When the target is superimposed on the adapting field, reciprocity is found, but the critical duration is considerably shorter. The results are discussed in terms of recent theorizing which attributes masking by light to effects of brightness summation. The existence of an additional interference effect is indicated. The nature of this interference is discussed, with emphasis on the close similarity found between results for forward and backward masking by light.

Effects of duration of masking stimulus and dark interval on the detection of a test disk.

“…Superimposition of the test stimulus on an uninterrupted adapting field yielded the lower threshold. Similar results were found by Kahneman (1966) using an acuity task involving the resolution of a Landolt C. Kahneman (1966) attributed his finding to an interference with the contours of the test stimulus. Threshold elevation by means of the occurrence of a dark interval is consonant with an interpretation of masking effects in terms of neural responses to the onset and offset of the mask (e.g., Baker, 1963;Ikeda & Boynton, 1965).…”

Effects of duration of masking stimulus and dark interval on the detection of a test disk.

“…Superimposition of the test stimulus on an uninterrupted adapting field yielded the lower threshold. Similar results were found by Kahneman (1966) using an acuity task involving the resolution of a Landolt C. Kahneman (1966) attributed his finding to an interference with the contours of the test stimulus. Threshold elevation by means of the occurrence of a dark interval is consonant with an interpretation of masking effects in terms of neural responses to the onset and offset of the mask (e.g., Baker, 1963;Ikeda & Boynton, 1965).…”

Effects of ISI and flash duration on the identification of briefly flashed stimuli

“…A similar deviation has been previously reported for briefly flashed stimuli with pattern and light masks (Kahneman, 1966;Kaswan and Young, 1963;Turvey, 1973), and it appears to be consistent with a transition from additive to multiplicative interaction between stimulus duration and ISI (Monahan and Steronko, 1977;Turvey, 1973). Whereas SOA has been reported to be the critical parameter in a number of backward masking conditions, including metacontrast (Kahneman, 1967(Kahneman, , 1968, pattern masking by a spatially uniform field (Donchin, 1967) and masking by structure (Spencer and Shuntich, 1970;Turvey, 1973), experiments using sparse noise masks have shown a multiplicative interaction between ISI and stimulus duration (Kinsbourne and Warrington, 1962a, b;Turvey, 1973).…”

The effect of visual masking on the critical duration of form

“…Figure 1 shows that the criteria for correct identification of the TS in absence of a mask is never reached. DISCU~SION The results of this experiment support the contentions of Schurman, Eriksen, & Rohrbaugh (1968) and Kahneman (1966); that is, for accurate form perception, the retina must receive sustained stimulation from the TS over a critical duration. In the present study the occurrence of a MS during the presentation of the TS should impair form perception, as a mask is able to alter the sustained presentation of the TS.…”

Effects of duration of masking stimulus and dark interval on the detection of a test disk.

“…Superimposition of the test stimulus on an uninterrupted adapting field yielded the lower threshold. Similar results were found by Kahneman (1966) using an acuity task involving the resolution of a Landolt C. Kahneman (1966) attributed his finding to an interference with the contours of the test stimulus. Threshold elevation by means of the occurrence of a dark interval is consonant with an interpretation of masking effects in terms of neural responses to the onset and offset of the mask (e.g., Baker, 1963;Ikeda & Boynton, 1965).…”

Effects of ISI and flash duration on the identification of briefly flashed stimuli

“…A similar deviation has been previously reported for briefly flashed stimuli with pattern and light masks (Kahneman, 1966;Kaswan and Young, 1963;Turvey, 1973), and it appears to be consistent with a transition from additive to multiplicative interaction between stimulus duration and ISI (Monahan and Steronko, 1977;Turvey, 1973). Whereas SOA has been reported to be the critical parameter in a number of backward masking conditions, including metacontrast (Kahneman, 1967(Kahneman, , 1968, pattern masking by a spatially uniform field (Donchin, 1967) and masking by structure (Spencer and Shuntich, 1970;Turvey, 1973), experiments using sparse noise masks have shown a multiplicative interaction between ISI and stimulus duration (Kinsbourne and Warrington, 1962a, b;Turvey, 1973).…”

The effect of visual masking on the critical duration of form

“…Figure 1 shows that the criteria for correct identification of the TS in absence of a mask is never reached. DISCU~SION The results of this experiment support the contentions of Schurman, Eriksen, & Rohrbaugh (1968) and Kahneman (1966); that is, for accurate form perception, the retina must receive sustained stimulation from the TS over a critical duration. In the present study the occurrence of a MS during the presentation of the TS should impair form perception, as a mask is able to alter the sustained presentation of the TS.…”

Effects of duration of masking stimulus and dark interval on the detection of a test disk.

“…Superimposition of the test stimulus on an uninterrupted adapting field yielded the lower threshold. Similar results were found by Kahneman (1966) using an acuity task involving the resolution of a Landolt C. Kahneman (1966) attributed his finding to an interference with the contours of the test stimulus. Threshold elevation by means of the occurrence of a dark interval is consonant with an interpretation of masking effects in terms of neural responses to the onset and offset of the mask (e.g., Baker, 1963;Ikeda & Boynton, 1965).…”

Effects of ISI and flash duration on the identification of briefly flashed stimuli

“…A similar deviation has been previously reported for briefly flashed stimuli with pattern and light masks (Kahneman, 1966;Kaswan and Young, 1963;Turvey, 1973), and it appears to be consistent with a transition from additive to multiplicative interaction between stimulus duration and ISI (Monahan and Steronko, 1977;Turvey, 1973). Whereas SOA has been reported to be the critical parameter in a number of backward masking conditions, including metacontrast (Kahneman, 1967(Kahneman, , 1968, pattern masking by a spatially uniform field (Donchin, 1967) and masking by structure (Spencer and Shuntich, 1970;Turvey, 1973), experiments using sparse noise masks have shown a multiplicative interaction between ISI and stimulus duration (Kinsbourne and Warrington, 1962a, b;Turvey, 1973).…”

The effect of visual masking on the critical duration of form

“…Figure 1 shows that the criteria for correct identification of the TS in absence of a mask is never reached. DISCU~SION The results of this experiment support the contentions of Schurman, Eriksen, & Rohrbaugh (1968) and Kahneman (1966); that is, for accurate form perception, the retina must receive sustained stimulation from the TS over a critical duration. In the present study the occurrence of a MS during the presentation of the TS should impair form perception, as a mask is able to alter the sustained presentation of the TS.…”